2021 recap

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GerardH
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Location: Wyoming, MN

2021 recap

#1

Post by GerardH »

This time of the year I do a lot of reflection of the past 12 months and start anticipating the new year. Looking back, 2021 felt much like a replay of the previous year in many regards, but sticking with the fishing theme...

The start of my fly fishing "season" was meeting my rod builder Paul Julius in February to pick up my PHY Midge copy that he graciously built for me. I pulled over at a rest stop just north of Wisconsin Dells to get give a try in the snow. Despite the wind, it effortlessly put out 40' of line...I finally had my small stream brook trout rod.

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I finally headed out to one of my northern WI boyhood brook trout streams the first weekend of April. We were experiencing a very warm, dry winter and spring followed suit -- our snowpack was mostly gone and the streams were running low. When I pulled up to the bridge I intended to fish, I met a young man from Rochester, MN who was scouting streams in the area. He had a 9' 5wt rod...a bit much for these alder-choked streams, but I gave him some advice and he went about a mile upstream to fish down to the bridge I was putting in. I followed a deer trail downstream about 50 yards and started swinging a wet at the first opening in the alders. About a half dozen fish came to hand and that was the start of the season...

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When I returned to my truck, I found this note under my windshield wiper:

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I made 3 more trips back home to fish a number of my home streams in April & May, the Midge performed better than I could hope in those tight conditions. I think I'm in love.

In mid-May, I cast rods with a longtime board member and got to cast a number of Paynes, a Bill Oyster, a couple Hoffhines, and several others that escape me right now. Jeremy, being the unbelievably generous guy that he is, made sure I came home with this sweet casting 7' Hoffhines build. It would prove to be a wonderful trico/olive rod in late summer, it was an incredibly smooth rod and I'm having Rob make a second tip for it this winter.

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My daughter was getting married the first weekend of June; so less than a week before the nuptials, I took her, her fiancée, and my son to a west-central WI river...to call it a wonderful day is an understatement in every regard.

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The first three weeks of June brought unprecedented heat and drought -- 10 consecutive days of +90 degree temps and no rain for 21 days. We went from May to August conditions almost overnight and the hatches were over by the time we had our sulphur camp the second week of the month. The highlight of that week may have been casting bamboo on a hot, breezy afternoon.

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The last weekend of June, we finally caught a break in the weather that brought cooler, wetter conditions. My destination was a stream that was 5 minutes out the door from our house I grew up in and I went to a stretch where I fly fished for the very first time 45 years ago to the month. 45 years of fly fishing under my belt and my pulse still quickens as I get closer to that bridge...I chronicled this outing in an earlier thread, so I won't bore you by rehashing it...but a couple pics:

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The majority of the summer we were cloaked in thick wildfire smoke...which stung the eyes, burned the lungs and provided unearthly light.

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The dog days arrived early this summer and whenever the temps would allow, I headed over to my favorite river and fished tricos in the early hours. The river was wracked by an epic flood the previous summer and the scars were still fresh -- old runs were gone, familiar bends rerouted, and I believe hatches were affected by the scouring. Fish were generally small and hatches were sparse...but it was good to cast a rod and feel the throb of a fish.

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In mid-September I headed down to the heart of the Driftless for a small bamboo gathering. This was the first time I fished down there since I picked up my last Brittany Spaniel puppy in 2012, so it was only appropriate that I dropped in at my breeder's house and fished a portion of the over mile of outstanding trout water that flowed through his property. There was a grasshopper crop of biblical proportions this summer -- no doubt the result of the heat and dry weather -- and trout were vicious. Everything was in the 11-16" range and they were strong, aggressive fish...I could do no wrong.

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At this gathering, Rob Hoffhines offered up one of his rods for me to take out for a spin: an 8' 4/5 wt based on a Payne 200L (2 pc). Though I looked for every reason not to like it, I had an epic day with it and now have one on order. I hope he can replicate the magic I felt in that rod on that beautiful early autumn day.

I finished out the fall fishing a number of different streams -- both familiar and new to me. I finally fished with forum member Perry Palin on one of his brook trout rivers to close out the season and though the fishing was slow, the fall foliage was full on and it's always a treat to spend time with Perry.

As an aside, my son -- who attends the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City -- boarded the State of Michigan in July and sailed four of the five Great Lakes until September, when he hopped on the 1000 foot ore ship Edgar B. Speer for his internship the past 3 months and just returned home a couple days ago. The gales of November did come early this year and slammed the lakes right through mid-December when he got off the ship.

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I hope 2022 finds everyone healthy and wonderful fishing ahead.

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Last edited by GerardH on 12/14/21 08:46, edited 3 times in total.

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kevinhaney1
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Re: 2021 recap

#2

Post by kevinhaney1 »

We would all be so lucky to have such a year... Thanks for sharing!

Kevin
Kevin Haney, Vintage Anglers
http://www.vintageanglers.com

PYochim
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Re: 2021 recap

#3

Post by PYochim »

Nicely documented.

AlexP
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Re: 2021 recap

#4

Post by AlexP »

Very nice Gerard, glad that you had a good season and the kids are doing great.

Hope we cross paths one of these days in SW WI casting to a Trico hatch.

Tight Lines!

driftless angler
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Re: 2021 recap

#5

Post by driftless angler »

A most excellent recap, thanks for sharing!

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Kenneth
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Re: 2021 recap

#6

Post by Kenneth »

What a great recap, and congratulations to the family on the new SIL.

Thanks much for sharing and here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Kenneth

RAZINGKANE
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Re: 2021 recap

#7

Post by RAZINGKANE »

Thanks for that. Fabulous pics and nice to know that the world can still turn in beauty in the midst of chaos. Merry Christmas.

John

Bamboocollector#1
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Re: 2021 recap

#8

Post by Bamboocollector#1 »

Well done!
Thank you for sharing with us.
Previously known as bamboocollector11

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hatch
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Re: 2021 recap

#9

Post by hatch »

2021 recap Maine style
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Last edited by hatch on 12/15/21 23:05, edited 2 times in total.

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GerardH
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Re: 2021 recap

#10

Post by GerardH »

hatch wrote:
12/15/21 00:01
2021 recap Maine style
Bucket list for me...thank you for keeping my dreams alive. :)

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RWHoffhines
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Re: 2021 recap

#11

Post by RWHoffhines »

quite a productive season! Got yer kid married off an' all!!! beautiful shots, good to see the waters you fish. And a 1000 foot ore carrier...how cool izzat?! Let us know if he gets on the James R. Barker with her amazing horn! keep thinking of wrap colors for this 8-footer currently in a culm in my garage for this spring! (I'll send photos of a new scheme I'm doing after the new year)

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Greg Reynolds
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Re: 2021 recap

#12

Post by Greg Reynolds »

What a nice post. Thank you... :)

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Short Tip
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Re: 2021 recap

#13

Post by Short Tip »

GerardH wrote:
12/13/21 21:47
This time of the year I do a lot of reflection of the past 12 months and start anticipating the new year. Looking back, 2021 felt much like a replay of the previous year in many regards, but sticking with the fishing theme...
Wow, what a great year you had. Congrats to your daughter and son as well. Lovely photos.
hatch wrote:
12/15/21 00:01
2021 recap Maine style
Tom, some fabulous fish and scenery, I must get back up there soon....... Thanks for the pics (and memories).

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jhuskey
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Re: 2021 recap

#14

Post by jhuskey »

Sir Gerard, thank you for the gracious post about your year. Wonderful rods, great fishing, great Family. That 5 min. away stream, I would fish that a couple hours a day and feel like I was already in Heaven. Wishing you and yours a great 2022.

BDNGRD
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Re: 2021 recap

#15

Post by BDNGRD »

I really enjoyed that!

JabaliHunter
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Re: 2021 recap

#16

Post by JabaliHunter »

Cheers! Hope you have a Merry Christmas too!

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bearbutt
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Re: 2021 recap

#17

Post by bearbutt »

Some very nice water & fish here--thanks to both of you for sharing them. Anyone else got stories to share? Would love to see more.

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flyfishermann1955
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Re: 2021 recap

#18

Post by flyfishermann1955 »

Gerard,

You had a great year; beautiful pictures--thanks for sharing. Color me green with envy!

Tight Lines- Ken

Salar4me
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Re: 2021 recap

#19

Post by Salar4me »

‘Tis posts like this that keep me plastered to this site for hours on end! Each photo, trip detail, rod and reel descriptions, get the endorphins flowing and the day dreams flowing. Thank you!

bob2935
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Re: 2021 recap

#20

Post by bob2935 »

Very nice recap of 2021 done in such a optimistic fashion. Thanks. The big question I have is what is your cocktail featured on your fly tying desk. I suspect a Old Fashioned. Have a great 2022.

Bohemian Bob

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